'Under the Dome' debuts on Channel 5: The new US hit or a big flop?

Under the Dome arrives on UK shores with a ton of buzz from the US already behind it - critics have been split, but the series broke summer ratings records for CBS when it premiered Stateside in June and has already been picked up for a second season.

But could this adaptation of Stephen King's 2009 novel capture the hearts and minds of UK viewers? Does it have the potential of a Homeland or - going further back - a Lost? The pilot episode certainly has something of a Lost feel, with strangers, or at least the estranged, united by a preternatural catastrophe.

Some fans of King's work have complained about the alterations the TV show has made to the source novel - changes they deemed unnecessary - but as a newcomer to the world of Under the Dome, would I be able to enjoy this pilot episode on its own merits?

The answer is, for the most part, yes. Ironically, the biggest problem with this series opener is the eponymous dome itself - many of the pilot's big moments setting up the show's Simpsons-did-it premise fall flat or provoke laughter instead of the intended chills - chief offender being the bisected cow...

Where Under the Dome is strongest is in its character sub-plots, dealing with what's going on in the town *besides* the dome. The real motives of unfortunately-named Barbie (Mike Vogel), how he ended up burying Julia (Rachelle Lefevre)'s husband in the woods, Big Jim (Dean Norris)'s thirst for power - all intrigue on a far deeper level than the central peril.

Also great value is Big Jim's psychopathic son James 'Junior' Rennie (Alexander Koch) - a creepy, knife-wielding Andy Samberg lookalike with wild eyes, a dangerous romantic obsession and a new-found grudge against Barbie.

These characters are broadly drawn - the mysterious male outsider, the glamorous female journalist, the 'big man in a small town' - but solid performances from a strong cast, most notably Pan Am star Vogel and Breaking Bad's superb Norris, are enough to fill in the gaps.

Going on this uneven pilot, Under the Dome appears unlikely to capture the hearts and minds of the nation. But the show certainly has the potential to build a strong cult following - it's plenty silly, but there's a certain amount of enjoyment to be gleaned if you approach with tongue planted firmly in cheek.